I can’t believe what some restaurants are charging

I recently travelled between Ireland and the US from Shannon Airport. I had an early morning flight and once I arrived at the airport, checked in my bags and headed to the café for a quick bite to eat before going through security. Now, I have had bad experiences in this café in the past. Some of you may remember, that on a previous occasion for lunch there, I wasn’t allowed to choose my vegetables for my lunch from the selection available because THEY decided for you! This time round, I thought I’d play it safe and had a super-health breakfast: One mini innocent smoothie, one Actimel and a small bowl of fruit.

My breakfast at Shannon Airport

The cost of this? €5?, €6? Or even €7?. Not even close. The total for this tiny breakfast was €12.50!

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW TO CONSIDER THIS!!! Ireland is going through it’s biggest economic downturn in decades due to over-inflated prices, greed and a lost knowledge of the difference between cost and value and here we are in Shannon Airport, the first stop for thousands of tourists coming in to Ireland for the first time and this is the robbery they are subjected to. Tourist numbers in 2008 experienced their first decline in years with many claiming Ireland was overpriced. Is it any wonder?

Shannon Airport and whoever it is runs the café there needs to get serious. They need to wake up and realise that having the monopoly over food service in an airport is not a license to rob people. With most customers passing through the airport only once in a while, no doubt the café thinks they can get away without the repeat business. Well I say that they can’t. Sharp practices like this need to be stamped out once and for all.

If Ireland and the rest of the world is going to climb its way out of this recession, they need to start being competitive and pricing in a manner that stimulates spending and growth, not stifles it. Increasing your prices is NOT the way out of a recession.

 

Pubs testing customers DNA to find the King

Customers at two Irish pubs have been taking DNA tests to see if they are related to an ancient Irish king.

The two pubs are McSorleys in New York and Sean’s Bar in Athlone, County Westmeath, one of the oldest pubs in Ireland. They offered the test – designed to find descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages, a fifth-century warlord – to customers on Father’s Day.

The drinkers could take the DNA test by providing a simple swab from the cheek and the samples have been sent to Oxford for analysis. The results will be available in July and if the customer is found to be a descendant, they can claim free beer and a meal at the pub.

Full story here

 

How a restaurant really screwed up

An Australian restaurant has earned international notoriety after giving a customer a service she did not expect.
After posting a feedback to The Casa Flamenco’s website concerning problems encountered during a $261 dinner party, diner Lorraine Pacey was shocked at the rude reply: “Dear Lorraine, Your (sic) are an idiot we don’t want your feedback.”

Both communications have since circulated far and wide – including featuring on a US website, which has had more than 20,000 hits. Read the full story here

 

It’s all about getting people talking about you

This novel way to transport pizzas gives customer’s one of their key messages: That their pizzas will always be delivered hot! It may be only a plastic box designed to look like an oven but it’s a great talking point!

 

Are you Being Served?

Conor Kenny explores 10 Customer Focused ideas to think about in a rapidly changing market.

All Change.
When Ireland began to emerge from its self conscious & subordinate past our founding fathers, DeValera included, expressed their aspirations and vision of Ireland. “Ireland of the hundred thousand welcomes” It ran through everything, even a state company bearing that very notion “Bord Failte”. Fast forward to Italia 90 & the ambassadorial role of the “friendly” Irish. Forward again to today & a newspaper headline “Cork man convicted of racial abuse”. Times are changing and so is Ireland and the customer. A French gentleman visiting Ireland described his fast food experience; “We were taken to a fast food cafe where our order was fed into a computer. Our hamburger made from the flesh of chemically impregnated cattle, had been broiled over counterfeit charcoal, placed between artificially flavoured cardboard and served to us by recycled juvenile delinquents” Much has been written about change & it can be summed up simply by “Change or Die”. A business is either growing or dying, it is never standing still. Even though we are acutely aware of change, the paradox is that we resist it. Years ago the proprietor was the judge of who came in, who stayed & who was excluded. Now, it is the customer & the circle has turned. As the court records once reported…convicted criminal… “As God is my judge-I am innocent”. Judge “He isn’t, I am, and you’re not”